Actress charged over ricin letter sent to Obama

Devika Bhat

Monday June 10 2013, 1.01am, The Times

Shannon Richardson sought to implicate her husband, officials say

AP

Devika Bhat

Monday June 10 2013, 1.01am, The Times

A pregnant actress from Texas been charged with threatening the President after allegedly sending ricin-tainted letters to Barack Obama and Michael Bloomberg, the Mayor of New York, and attempting to implicate her husband for the crime.

Shannon Richardson, 35, approached the FBI claiming that her husband, Nathaniel Richardson, was responsible for the documents, whose text threatened violence against gun-control advocates. Upon investigation however, authorities reached the conclusion that the actress herself had sent the letters and attempted to to frame Mr Richardson.

The couple, who have been married for less than two years, are going through a divorce, Mr Richardson’s lawyer said, adding that his client was pleased with his wife’s arrest and was working with officials to prove his innocence.